Why do
snowballs melt in the freezer? For other rookie parents like me out there, they
don’t, they are just shrinking. The air is very dry to help minimize frost,
which causes the finer particles on the exterior of the snowball to evaporate –
similar to why ice cubes will reduce in size over time. What’s left is an ice
ball; good thing the boys are planning on pitching them into the pool come
summer, and not throw them at one another. Will sealing them in a Ziploc help?
The
daffodils are blooming here in the Upstate, but the tulips I bought today to
brighten the dining room are imported from Canada. Despite the 70˚ day here in
Greenville snow is in the forecast for Thursday… Only in the South, eh?
To all
moms, dads, grandparents and parents-to-be in the Upstate, the Joyful Birth
& Breastfeeding Expo is this Saturday in Spartanburg. This is a fantastic
opportunity to check out local companies, learn about kid's activities in the
Upstate, support the natural birth community here in SC, and to hear author/midwife
Ina May Gaskin speak. A champion of natural birth and renowned for her
practice’s exemplary results and low intervention rates, Ina May Gaskin has
gained international notoriety as the leader of a movement that seeks to stop
the hyper-medicalization of birth. To find more information about the expo
click here, and for a full program of
the speakers and events at the expo click here.
A
sunny day was spent in the country yesterday in the company of friends,
complete with bike racing, digging in the sand and a bonfire. I made vegan
cupcakes, my first attempt at a dessert without butter and eggs. While
searching for a recipe I almost tossed in the hat, as a majority of recipes
called for things like arrowroot powder or coconut oil (I thought this was a
facial treatment?), butter substitute (what is that anyways, I can’t even
pronounce most of the ingredients?) or a food processor. Finally I found this recipe for chocolate cupcakes with strawberry filling, for which I had all the ingredients on hand… and they came out great. So
if you find yourself in a situation like I did (I'm omnivorous but was
visiting friends who follow a vegan diet) and want a rich dessert with no fuss,
try this recipe from treehugger.com. Especially great this time of year when
all those beautiful strawberries start showing up in the store…
We
spent the day in the garden, preparing the beds with a truckload of horse
manure courtesy of the country friends (thanks guys! (and I expect your best dung joke in the comments please)). The blueberry bushes are budding, the
strawberry, celery plant, green onions and garlic all sprouting and greening
up, but we’re still holding our breath to see if last year’s transplanted
raspberry and grape will make it. So far the only seeds planted are the
frost-tolerant snap peas and salads, but I imagine I’ll be able to proceed quite soon, despite Thursday’s weather forecast for snow. Plus maybe I will be able
to replace those shrunken snowballs and spare the boys some disappointment?
If you put the snowballs in ziploc baggies.... they might just last a few years - remember the snowballs nobody would let me throw out...?
ReplyDeleteI just googled "snowballs in the freezer and found your blog/page. I've been fielding these questions for weeks - "what is happening to our snowballs!!?" Happy to have a fast answer!
ReplyDeleteApparently my little sister and I were jaded Midwesterners who saw too much of the white stuff, as I don't recall ever trying to save snowballs! Maybe a plastic baggie, or even a plastic container would help...? Your mom seems to remember some of your snowballs lasting a several years, which is impressive!
ReplyDeleteIncredibly envious that you are seeing flowers....we are once again digging out from more ice and snow!
When I was a kid, my brother and I used to shove snowballs in the freezer. I have no idea what happened to them though, I have a feeling my mom threw them away! :)
ReplyDelete